Spindle structure



'June 17 1924. 1,497,675

G. W. DOVER SPINDLE STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 27,, 1922 Fj gl 2 A T TOR/V2 Patented J um 17, 1924.

GEORGE W. DOVER, OF CRANSTON, RHODE ISLAND.

SPINDLE STRUCTURE.

Application filed. January 27, 1922. Serial No. 532,330.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. DOVER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cranston, in the county of Providence and State of Ithode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spindle Structures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved spindle structure for supporting bobbins or like yarn holding devices in proper position for the unwinding of yarn therefrom during the process of weaving fabrics.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved device of this character for rotatably supporting a bobbin upon the spindle in such a manner as to prevent tilting of the bobbin during its rotation about the spindle even when the internal bores of the bobbins used vary considerably either by reason of excessive wear or as a result of being formed originally with bores of different size.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for retaining oil between the bearing supporting the bobbin and the support therefor to render the bobbin readily rotatable while preventing the yarn or threads carried by the bobbin from contact with the oil, as well as to guard the yarn or threads from becoming entangled in the moving parts. I

Other objects and advantages of the i11- vention relate to various details of construction and arrangement of the parts as will be more fully set forth in the detailed description to follow.

Referring to the drawings;

F'g. 1 is a side view of the spindlestructure with a bobbin positioned-thereon, the bobbin and certain portions of the spindle structure being shown in section to better illustrate certain details of construction and the relative arrangement of the parts.

6-6 of Fig. 5.

supports along the Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the bearing F ig. 7 is a sectional view along the line 7-7 of Fig. 5, and,

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of Fig. 5.

In the embodlment of the invention illustrated herewith, 1 designates the bobbin rail by which the bobbins are carried, and 2 a base plate mounted upon the rail for supporting the spindle and bobbin. The main spindle member 3 is provided at one end with a reduced threaded'portion 4: adapted to be threaded into a suitable opening in the rail whereby the spindle is held in proper operative position.

A cup-shaped supporting 'member 5, provided with an upstanding annular flange 6, is firmly secured to the spindle member 3 adjacent to the reduced portion 4;, preferably by driving the spindle member into a central opening 7 formed in the supporting member, the opening being of suitable size to cause the spindle member to fit snugly against the adjacent parts of the supporting member when forced into the opening. A tapered bearing member 8 preferably in the form of a triangular pyramid is rotatably mounted upon the main spindle member to bear against the upper face of the supporting member and serve as a rotatable bearing for the bobbin 9. The bobbin is provided with a central bore 10 for the reception of the main spindle member.

The spindle member is provided at the end opposite from the reduced portion 4 with an axial recess 11 for receiving the reduced portion 12 of a stub shaft '13, the reduced portion 12 of the stub shaft being preferably so formed as to fit closely in the recess when driven therein whereby the stubshaft is held against separation from the spindle. The stub-shaft 131 is provided with two annular tracks 14 for rotatably supporting a bearing sleeve 15 and reducing the friction between the sleeve and shaft, one face of said. sleeve bearing against the end of the spindle member while the opposite face of the sleeve is spaced slightly from a shoulder 16 formed on the stub-shaft for retainingj' the sleeve against excessive axial movement relative to the spindle and affording sufficient clearance to enable the sleeve to rotate freely relative to the spindle. The bearing sleeve 15 is provided with a knurled outer surface 16 for contact with the interior bore of the bobbin to assist in imparting the rotative movement of the bobbin to the sleeve whereby the bobbin supported and guided by the sleeve 15 will be held in such position that its axis will remain at all times in substantial alignment with the axis of the spindle.

The particular construction ofthebearing 8 and the preferred method of forming the same will now be described more .in detail. A thin metal plate 17, which is roughly of triangular :shape, is provided with .a substantially central opening 18 and radial depressions 1 9 aredormed therein extending from said opening. Depressions 21 are {armed at the corners of the plate and lines 522 are scored upon the upper surface there of. The corner [portions are then bent -upwardly, the-bends occurring along the scored lines, to form a substantially pyramidal member provided with a central opening of suitable size for receiving the mainspindle member 3. In this :form the bearing member presents ithree upwardly tapering surfaces 23 and three upwardly tapering edges 24 which enter the .bore in the bobbin and serve to support the bobbin centrally with respect to the main spi ndlemember notwithstanding variations which may occur in the :size :of the bore in-different bobbins whether by reason of their having been formed originally with bores of different size or through wear. By means of this novel bearing member it is possible to use bobbins varying widely inthe size of the internal bore as well as bobbins in which the bore at one or both ends has become enlarged by excessive wear and insure the proper centering of the lower ends of the bobbins with their respective spindles. As previously stated when the triangular bearing member is placed in operative position upon the main spindle member the radial depressions 19 formed in the base of the bearing member rest upon the upper face of the supporting member 5 to serve as reduced and rounded bearingsurfaces for reducing the friction between the bearing .and the supporting member and thus facilitating the readiness with which the bobbin will rotate relative to the/spindle.

It will be seen that the upstanding annular flange 6 upon the supporting member gives the member a cup-shaped form which will permit the placing of a small supply of oil upon the upper surface of the supporting member where it will lubricate the contaoting surfaces of the bearing and support-- ing members without danger of loss or escaping to come in contact with the thread or yarn. The provision of the novel bearing member 8 for centering the lower portion of the bobbin relative to the spindle in conjunction with the bearing sleeve 15 adjacent to the upper end of the main spindle member serves to maintain the bobbin in position so -.that its arms s at all times in substantial alignment with the axis of the spindle memher and tilting of the bobbin thereby avoid- :ed while permitting the bobbin to rotate freely relative to the spindle member.

lVhile I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention with considerable particularity in order to make the construction and operation of the same clear to those-skilled in the art, it is to be understood that I do not intend to be limit- .ed to the precise details of construction shown and described except asthesame may be;properly included within the scopeofthe appended claims when broadly construed in the light of any invention.

:Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a spindle structure for rotatably supporting a bobbin, the combination of a {main spindle member, a member fixedly positioned relative to said main spindle memher and having a portion extending upwardly of and icircumferentially about a portion of said :spindle member, and a pyramidal bearing member rotatably mounted upon said spindle member to center and rotatably support a bobbin relative to said spindle member.

2. In a spindle structure for rotatably supporting a bobbin, the combination of a main spindle member, and a pyramidal bea ring member rotatably mounted upon said spindle member to center and rotatably support a bobbin relative to said spindle member.

3. In a spindle structure for rotatably supporting a bobbin, the combination of a main spindle member, a pyramidal bearing member for centering and rotatably supporting a bobbin upon said spindle member, and a guard member fixedly positioned relative to said spindle member for preventing yarn from becoming wound about said spindle member.

4. In a spindle structure for rotatably supporting a bobbin, the combination of a main spindle member, a pyramidal bearing member rotatably mounted upon said spindle member for centering and rotatably supporting a bobbin upon said spindle memher, and a second bearing member carried by said spindle member aboxe said first named bearing member and cooperating with said first named bearing member to maintain the longitudinal axis of the bobbin in substantial alignment with the longitudinal axis of the main spindle member.

5. In a spindle structure for rotatably supporting a bobbin, a main spindle memher. a supporting member secured thereto, and a bearing member formed by bending a metal plate into the shape of a triangular pyramid, the base of which is a substantially equilateral triangle, and forming therein a central opening at substantially right angles to the base thereof for the reception of said main spindle member whereby when the said bearin member is rotatably positioned upon the splndle member the apex of the pyramidal bearing Will project Within the bore of the bobbin and center the same relative to said main spindle member.

6. In a spindle structure for rotatably supporting a bobbin, a main spindle member, a supporting member secured thereto, and a bearing member rotatably mounted on said main spindle member and seated upon said supporting member, said bearing being provided With a plurality of depressed radial ribs formed in the base thereof for contact With the face of said supporting member to render the said bearing readily rotatable on said supporting member and a tapered portion projecting Within the bore of the bobbin.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

GEORGE W. DOVER. 

